It has a function that blocks abnormal power usage by apps (for example, while in standby mode) to help extend battery life. That seems like a very smart move.

It has a new "gesture" feature called "knuckle sense." Sounds daft but it is actually very clever: Using your knuckles, a double-tap on the screen takes an instant screengrab and offers it up as a picture for sharing via multiple apps. Also using your knuckles, you can crop part of the screen and save that cropped area as an image. I tried it and it works really well.

If you leave your phone somewhere and can't find it, you can call out to it and it will respond with a pre-set tone or reply (which the user sets up) until you locate it. The hard part will be resisting the temptation to set the recognized call with profanities... That's OK in your own home but if you can't locate your device at a meeting or your auntie's house, then it could be awkward.

The stage management of the launch was such that there was no audience Q&A session and the only presenters were from Huawei. I would have liked to have heard from a mobile operator and other non-Huawei folks about market requirements.

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When it comes to smartphones my knowledge is limited, so I always look to the industry specialist who, I believe, has the most informed take on such matters, Ben Wood, head of research at CCS Insight . Wood very kindly shares his views in real time on Twitter: Check out his feed right here. His overall impression is that the device has the design and functionality that would appeal to users and it has some neat tricks in terms of its design around dual-SIM slots and components. However, Huawei has a "mountain to climb" to position itself as a "premium brand" that can match the likes of Apple and Samsung and that could limit its market share growth.

That may be true but it's also worth noting that Huawei, thanks to its domestic market and sheer persistence, has built a mobile device business that generated revenues of $12.2 billion in 2014. (See Huawei Reports Consumer Business Group Financials and Huawei Profits Soar on 4G, Smartphone Sales.)

According to IDC, Huawei is now the fourth-largest smartphone vendor globally, commanding 6.3% of the market (by unit shipments) in the fourth quarter of 2014, despite being only the number-three player in China. (See Xiaomi Leads China Smartphone Market, Says IDC and Smartphone Vendor Market Share, Q4 2014.)

We'll have to wait to see what impact the P8 has on Huawei's Consumer business. The vendor didn't announce any mobile operator partners but said the device is now available in 30 countries, including China, Germany, Hong Kong, Singapore and the UK and will then become available globally.

So while I'll have to wait for another day to see what mobile operators think of Huawei's efforts to match Apple, the launch was worth attending just for the experience.

— Ray Le Maistre, , Editor-in-Chief, Light Reading